Earth Shaker
by caeseria
Summary: During a snowstorm, Iruka and Kakashi take shelter in an abandoned mansion. Inside, they find more than they bargained for, and end up sealed in with a starving spirit that feeds off lust and desire.


**Earth Shaker**

Iruka stood at attention before the mission desk and risked a quick glance at the Godaime before returning his gaze to a point just over her left shoulder. In the distance he could just make out the perimeter wall and the northern gate through the window.

"A mission, Hokage-sama?" Perhaps he'd heard wrong. He couldn't possibly leave the village now.

"You heard me, Iruka."

With a feeling of impending doom beginning to descend, Iruka sensed he was about to be given a pity mission. A damned _pity mission,_ handed out right in front of half the shinobi of Konoha. He was never going to live this down.

"It might do you good to get out of the village for a while, sensei," the Godaime continued, as if she didn't know exactly what she was saying. _Now that Naruto has gone away with Jiraiya_ hung in the air, unsaid but stamped firmly on the conversation.

Iruka snapped his gaze back to the Hokage and straightened his spine, his hands forming fists at his sides. He took a deep breath and tried to relax, but he already knew he'd lost, that of course he'd follow the Godaime's will, just as he'd followed the will of the Sandaime. It was his duty to his village after all.

"Are you sure this mission wouldn't be better suited to a genin team?" One last try couldn't hurt, right?

At that moment, Hatake Kakashi sauntered into the mission room, affected a bored wave to the assembled shinobi, and propped himself against the wall. He was just in the process of pulling out that damned book when Tsunade grinned. Iruka only noticed her shark-like grin of glee because he'd turned away from Kakashi, partly out of embarrassment due to the book and partly out of mortification because it was likely Kakashi would notice his faint blush. Because recently, Iruka had started to _notice_ Kakashi, not in an oh-hey-it's-the-porn-reading-pervert-jounin kind of way, but more in a _heyyyy_-nice-ass-and-strong-thighs kind of way. He was doomed if he didn't nip this in the bud now before it blossomed into infatuation.

"Hatake!" Tsunade hollered, making at least three chuunin startle and one other pull a kunai in self-defense.

"Hmm?" Kakashi tucked the book away and strolled toward the mission desk. He nodded to Iruka in greeting and assumed a lazy stance, one that was almost at attention but not quite. Iruka wasn't sure how he managed it, but he still, in Naruto's words, managed to 'look cool'. _I must be losing it if I'm fascinated by the way Kakashi stands to attention. Maybe I do need to get out of the village, because clearly I'm going insane._

"Hokage-Sama?"

"I'm glad you're here, brat," Tsunade said, still sporting that disturbingly predatory smile. "Iruka needs an escort on this mission and you'll do nicely."

"Hokage –" Iruka began.

Tsunade banged her fist on the table, which cracked dangerously under the blow. The two chuunin sitting to either side of her began to shift surreptitiously out of the way.

"Is there a problem, sensei?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow.

Iruka swallowed. "No, Hokage-sama, there isn't a problem."

"Good, it's settled. Kakashi, you'll escort Iruka to the Land of Frost. The Daimyo there has requested our assistance locating a scroll he's misplaced. The details are all in the mission briefing."

Iruka bit back the retort about this being a genin mission and stared off into the distance, cheeks burning with embarrassment at being called out in front of every shinobi present. He bowed stiffly and took the scroll from the Godaime. He turned to Kakashi, only to find he was still standing at lazy attention, but reading his book.

With a huff Iruka turned and began to walk toward the door, determined to leave the scene of his humiliation as quickly as possible.

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Kakashi followed Iruka from the mission room, albeit at a more sedate pace. When it looked like Iruka was actually going to outpace him, he tucked _Icha Icha Violence_ back in his pouch and lengthened his stride. Iruka was almost to the tower stairs when Kakashi called out. "Mah, Iruka-sensei. One moment."

Iruka paused and turned around to greet Kakashi. That was a shame, Kakashi thought, because he'd been thoroughly enjoying the rear-view Iruka had been presenting. Kakashi was a connoisseur of fine asses, and Iruka had one you could probably bounce a coin off.

"Kakashi-san. I didn't hear you behind me."

_Liar_, Kakashi thought. _You're a bloody good ninja; even a genin would have noticed. I wonder why he's upset about this mission? _"You have the mission scroll?"

"Ah, yes. Sorry." Iruka handed it over, his fingers brushing against Kakashi's for a moment. "I suppose you'll be leading the mission, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi nodded. He gestured to a bench along the corridor wall and sat down, waiting for Iruka to join him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, and dangled the scroll between two fingers. "Something the matter, sensei?"

Iruka looked right and left down the corridor and then sat on the edge of the bench, clearly uncomfortable. He sighed. "Kakashi-san, it's nothing against you, I just don't like being handed pity missions. It's obviously a ploy to keep me occupied and my mind off Naruto now that he's gone."

"Hmm." Kakashi could see why that would rankle.

"I mean, I suppose you're in the same boat since Team 7 disbanded and Sasuke left and –" Iruka's eyes widened and he clasped his hands in his lap. "Sorry."

_Ouch_, he thought. He'd been doing his best to not think about the events leading up to the Valley of the End, and Iruka had just handily reminded him. An uncomfortable thought suddenly insinuated itself into Kakashi's conscience; surely Tsunade wasn't also handing _him_ a pity mission? Iruka was right; basic scroll retrieval _was_ something a bunch of genin could do, and Tsunade was sending him to babysit a perfectly capable chuunin who could do the job blindfolded. In fact, she was sending two shinobi who had something in common; Naruto. Ouch, indeed.

"Are you going to read the scroll, Kakashi-san?"

_Saved by the bell,_ he thought. _Or a capable chuunin. Either works._ He unrolled the scroll, scanning over the details. "It's listed B rank," he commented flatly. Iruka had the grace to look embarrassed. "Usual scroll retrieval stuff: travel to the Land of Frost – oh joy – retrieve scroll from Daimyo's summer residence –"

"Summer residence?" Iruka interrupted. "The one nobody in three countries will go near?"

"What?" Kakashi paused in his reading and looked up at Iruka.

"I've heard about this. It's supposed to be haunted."

Kakashi tried and failed to keep the incredulous look off his face. Good job Iruka couldn't see more than about a third of it. "By a ghost?" he blurted out. "Really?"

Iruka grinned for the first time that day. "Apparently. The rumors started about twenty years ago or so I understand. My mother used to tell me the story before bed, and sometimes I wouldn't sleep."

"Good job we're hardened shinobi, then," Kakashi deadpanned.

Iruka laughed; it changed his whole face and made him look younger suddenly. Kakashi thought it was something he'd like to see more often, if he got the opportunity. "Yes, good job we're not eight year old kids," Iruka replied, still laughing. He stood up, waiting for Kakashi to do the same.

Kakashi tucked the scroll in his pocket and began walking toward the stairs. "See you at dawn at the gates then, Iruka-sensei. Better pack your cloak and your ghost-proof underwear." Iruka snorted and he waved over his shoulder, feeling somehow lighter. Maybe this whole thing wouldn't turn out to be so bad, after all.

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So much for this being the Land of _Frost_, Kakashi thought. It hadn't stopped snowing since they'd crossed the border into Frost, and now they were being hunted by a pack of Sound nin that had apparently decided to take a vacation one country over and pick a fight. God, he really _hated_ Orochimaru sometimes.

He raced through the trees, jumping branch to branch, Iruka keeping pace beside him. The snow fell unhindered through the bare, leafless trees. On the ground his pack of ninken followed, their excited barks and yips echoing through the forest. He'd had to summon them a few hours ago, in order to stand a chance of taking out the Sound ninja. By his last count there had been seven of them, and both he and Iruka had managed to thin them out until they were down to maybe three or four. He could just see Bull below, with Pakkun sat firmly on his head, leading the pack. Beside him, Iruka suddenly spun and jumped, kicking out behind him, connecting with the jaw of the leading enemy ninja. The man fell silently, and Iruka released a handful of kunai, then shuriken, peppering the nin's body with missiles. Executing a neat tuck Iruka pushed off the trunk of the next tree and changed direction rapidly, away from Kakashi.

"Shit," Kakashi muttered and changed direction to follow. He leapt to the ground, weaving amongst his pack, keeping a lookout both for Iruka and the men pursuing them. A flash of Konoha green and Kakashi spotted Iruka, going to head to head with another man, trading rapid blows. Kakashi started to form seals and was halfway done when he felt the slice of a kunai across his shoulder. No doubt a random shot, he thought, but that meant there was another nin somewhere in hiding. Shiba barked a warning and the ninja grunted as the ninken barreled into him, knocking him backward. Kakashi turned, just in time to block a blow from a kunai with the plate on his glove. The nin smiled, and then the battle was joined.

It wasn't an easy fight; both were jounin level. Kakashi had to concentrate on his opponent and lost sight of Iruka momentarily. He heard a shout – that was Iruka – and for a moment his attention wavered. Just a split second, just long enough to miss the signs of what turned out to be one hell of a fire jutsu. It came straight for him, and he rolled to the side to avoid it, the ninken scattering with barks of alarm. The dry deadfall on the ground ignited in a further fireball and he felt the wash of heat across his exposed forearms and his mask. For a moment, it was surreal; everything went into slow motion when he activated his sharingan. The falling snow seemed to pause, the fire billowed and ignited; the snow melting immediately against the heat of the flames. Kakashi threw up an earth wall and ducked. He heard Akino bark somewhere near Iruka, and he dropped the earth wall, pulled a kunai and spun into the next attack, sliding under the other ninja's guard and hammering the blade home. He felt it bite into the nin's side, jar on his ribs and then slide in. By the time his momentum had carried him through, the man was sliding off Kakashi's kunai and to the ground, lifeless.

Urushi and Bisuke were by his side immediately, barking impatiently, urging Kakashi in a particular direction. Kakashi followed their lead, sprinting through the forest. Iruka was still fighting the same nin, although he appeared to be flagging. His hair was loose and he spun gracefully as he parried a blow from the enemy's blade.

Despite holding out this long, Kakashi could tell that Iruka was exhausted. His blows were no longer precise, just slightly clumsy to his practiced eye.

Kakashi wasn't going to reach him in time.

Sliding to a halt, he pulled a scroll from his vest pocket, letting it unravel. Kakashi bit into his thumb and smeared the blood along the scroll before placing it on the ground. He formed rapid hand seals and then slammed his hand down. The barking from his ninken stopped abruptly as he channeled his will into the summoning scroll and they vanished, only to erupt from the ground surrounding the enemy in a boil of fur, limbs and teeth. As one, the pack latched onto the enemy nin as Iruka fell backward to the ground, surprise etched onto his face.

The enemy, while a jounin, wasn't as strong or as determined as the last person Kakashi had fought this way – Zabuza. He went down under the pack with a cry, blood flying as they latched onto him. Kakashi began to run toward Iruka, relieved to see his still had his wits about him enough to scramble backwards out of the way. It only took a moment for Kakashi to leap in and finish the man off cleanly with a single stroke of his kunai.

The pack fell back now that their work was done, milling around Kakashi's legs and barking for attention. He patted each one on the head, thanking them for the help, and then moved to help Iruka up. "You all right?" he asked, pulling Iruka to his feet.

"I think so," Iruka replied. He was shaking, Kakashi guessed from fatigue. "A little worn out," Iruka admitted with a wry grin. "And a little cold. I got hit by some kind of random frost jutsu. Thanks for the help, by the way."

"Frost jutsu?" Kakashi was ashamed to admit to himself that he had missed it – something like that could come in handy and would have been useful to copy. Plus it was also a little worrying that Orochimaru and Sound now seemed to be attracting other missing ninja – ninja who had more than just your basic sound jutsu in their arsenal. He'd need to report that to Tsunade as soon as they got back.

"Are you good to go on or do you need to rest?" Kakashi asked. He bent down and cleaned off his bloody kunai on the dead Sound nin. "If you want to rest I need to dispose of the bodies."

"Okay." Iruka slumped back against a tree and pulled his cloak tightly around him. "Once you're done I'll take a look at that cut on your shoulder. It probably needs stitches."

"Later. Right now we need to dispose of the evidence. I think we're only about three hours from our destination. Pakkun? I need you and the pack to spread out, check for any shinobi we may have missed and report back."

"Yes, boss."

Kakashi watched as the pack dispersed, leaving him with Iruka. He looked tired, but then Kakashi supposed that he probably did too. Fighting for your life tended to wear a person out, he thought wryly.

"I'll tell you one thing, Kakashi-san," Iruka said tiredly, "No resident spook is going to keep me awake tonight, not after this."

Kakashi let out a surprised laugh.

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Iruka had never been so glad to see shelter. To say the snow was belting down was putting it mildly; the one thing in their favor was that this didn't appear to be a full-blown blizzard as there wasn't any wind. It wasn't very often anyone from Konoha got to see snow unless they were on a mission, but this was one storm Iruka would rather have missed. The Land of Frost was clearly a misnomer, even if this did just happen to be a random winter snowstorm. With it snowing so hard, Iruka couldn't even begin to imagine how this house would look in the summer. The word 'house' was also misplaced, because this was more like a small mansion, even if it looked a little shabby. It was nestled back in the woods, against the gentle foothills at the base of a mountain. It was a sprawling complex, complete with a compound wall and an imposing gate, or at least it had been impressive maybe twenty years ago when the place had been inhabited. Snow was now piling up against the walls, burying the smashed red tiles that had fallen to the ground. The snow was casting everything with an eerie blue light and any noise seemed muffled. Even Kakashi's dogs were quiet, only the sound of their excited huffing breaking the silence.

They made their way through the gate and into the courtyard. Here, the snow was already calf deep and if it continued to snow like this, Iruka thought it might be thigh deep by morning. At least they'd be inside and out of the storm, although Iruka wasn't sure if the building was weathertight.

Iruka made his way up the steps to the porch that surrounded the main house and pulled the door open. Inside it was almost pitch dark and Iruka fumbled to find a flashlight. Outside, Kakashi was talking to the dogs, petting them on their wet fur. With a small popping sound, all eight dogs disappeared. _Weird_, Iruka thought. "The ninken aren't coming in?" he asked.

Kakashi tromped up the stairs and followed Iruka inside, banging his closed-toe shoes on the genkan floor to clear them of snow. "Nope. Pakkun said none of them were coming inside, and if we could see what they could we'd be hightailing it back to Konoha."

Iruka opened and closed his mouth. "Are you kidding me?" He still found Kakashi hard to read at times.

Kakashi smirked beneath the mask. "Pakkun very rarely lies. He said it's something to do with being spirit, so they can see spirits better than we can."

"So this place is really haunted? It's not just a rumor?" Iruka looked over his shoulder and down the dark hallway.

"Don't worry, sensei, I'll protect you." Kakashi leaned into Iruka's space, took the flashlight from Iruka's hand and wandered off down the hallway.

Iruka suddenly felt very warm after their brief contact. The brush of Kakashi's fingers over his was unexpected, but pleasant. It took a moment for Iruka to process Kakashi's sarcastic comment, but by that point the object of his ire had disappeared into one of the myriad rooms, leaving him alone.

Kakashi dumped his pack in one of the outer rooms and set off to do a perimeter check. He took one wing while Iruka took the other. _This place is ridiculous,_ he thought, sliding open yet another shoji screen and looking inside. He was used to living in one room plus a bathroom and this place was vast. It seemed corridor led off of corridor, room after room. The detritus of many years of abandonment lent the place a sinister, neglected air and the weather had made inroads in certain areas. Yet it had potential; Kakashi had a feeling the Daimyo of Frost was after more than a simple missing scroll.

He began to make his way back to headquarters, a large room in the other wing. He busied himself pulling off his cloak and getting a fire started. By the time Iruka returned, he had his cloak spread out to dry and a pot boiling with water, both for tea and to warm rations.

"Find anything?" Iruka asked, pulling off his cloak and shaking it out.

Kakashi shook his head. "Nothing. Locate our supposed ghost?"

Iruka laughed. "No. Maybe they are just rumors after all. I did, however, find the library. I guess that's a better place than not to search for this scroll. We can begin in the morning."

Kakashi handed Iruka his tea. "Sorry about the bent cup. It's out of my pack."

"It's in better shape than mine," Iruka replied with a smile. "I think I landed on mine when I got hit with that jutsu."

"Clearly Sound has a lot to answer for." Kakashi pulled off his mask and sipped his tea. Now he was sure they weren't going to be attacked at any moment, he felt safe enough taking it off. He tucked it in his jacket pocket and settled himself properly before the fire.

"Why do you think the Daimyo abandoned this place?"

"I have no idea." Kakashi shifted, getting comfortable. "Maybe –" Just then he felt a small tremor beneath him, a sort of mild shuddering. He lifted his gaze to Iruka, who looked a little startled. The vibrations seemed to increase and there was the sound of something breaking in the distance. He watched the water in the pan ripple on the fire and then the vibrations died off as quickly as they had started.

"Earthquake?" Iruka asked.

"I suppose. I've never experienced one before."

"Oh, so you're a quake virgin then." Iruka grinned, and it was touched with just a bit of humor and a fair dose of innuendo. Kakashi had never seen _that_ expression on Iruka's face before, and he wondered just what else he didn't know about Naruto's sensei. His interest suddenly peaked and his dick seemed to take particular notice. _Fun_! He thought. This mission had the potential to suddenly get a whole lot more interesting than simply playing Find The Scroll.

"I take it you're not a virgin," Kakashi shot back, letting his grin show.

Iruka colored, even in the warm firelight, although the mischievous expression never left his face. "I've experienced one before. Maybe two."

Kakashi coughed into his tea, glad it didn't go up his nose. He waited for Iruka to take a sip of his tea, and then said, "Not at the same time I hope."

"Kakashi-san!" Iruka looked mortified, glancing down at his jacket where he'd spilt tea when he snorted. "You owe me a dry-cleaned vest now," he added. "And a new set of scrolls. There's tea in my pocket." Iruka took off his vest and laid it to one side. "Seriously though, you've never been in an earthquake?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Never. As you know, Konoha isn't really a hotspot for them. And it's just dumb luck I've not come across one on my missions, although I know a fair number of us have, especially out in Hot Springs."

"Well we are quite close to Hot Springs, so that's probably why." Iruka slipped off his closed-toe boots and pulled the edge of his sleeping bag down, sliding inside. He turned to face Kakashi and rested his head on his elbow. He looked comfy. "Are you taking first watch?"

"Sure." Kakashi didn't mind; it took a while for his brain to shut itself off for sleep. "I'll wake you in four hours."

"Okay."

Kakashi waited until Iruka had settled in and then set about banking the fire. He took a seat in one of the corners of the room, not too far from the fire and let his mind wander pleasantly over their previous conversation.

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It was almost three hours into his watch when Kakashi saw something. Just a shadow against shadow; something that seemed to move where the shadows shouldn't. He blinked to clear his vision and stared harder. Silently, slowly, he pulled a kunai from the pouch on his thigh and waited. If it was enemy nin, one of his traps out in the surrounding forest should have forewarned him; still, these things didn't often work one hundred percent, and he had to take the snow into consideration. Kakashi did his best to blend into the shadows in the corner he was seated in and waited, kunai at the ready.

A few moments passed, and there it was again. Now Kakashi was looking for it, the shadow seemed a little clearer. It moved like smoke, at first an ill-formed cloud, then it drifted past the window and formed into something resembling a tendril. Possibilities flashed through Kakashi's head: it was a gas jutsu of some kind, maybe a seek-and-destroy jutsu.

And then Iruka moaned.

Kakashi paused in forming hand seals and stared. Iruka turned over in his sleeping bag and flung an arm out, exposing his bare wrist and forearm beneath his shirt. The smoke paused and then began to move sinuously toward Iruka. _Shit_. Kakashi moved, risking exposing his position to the enemy, and circled around the room. _I waited too long,_ he thought. _Whatever it is is going to reach Iruka before I do_.

Iruka moved in the sleeping bag, pushing down the covering, exposing tanned, well muscled flesh beneath his shirt. The smoke began to pull back in on itself, moving quickly, faster than Kakashi could see with his normal eye. It was now above Iruka, a thin tendril of smoke reaching out to caress across Iruka's stomach. Kakashi took a step closer and the smoke rose up, rather like an angry cat would in warning, but did nothing further. Locked in stalemate, Kakashi could only watch and listen as Iruka moved again, his hand moving to caress his abs, moving further down across his stomach, sliding under the waistband of his pants. He was hard, Kakashi could make out that much. The smoke sent out another tendril, a brief caress across Iruka's skin but didn't move to harm him. Iruka's head fell back and his mouth opened slightly as he touched himself, his hips rolling slowly into the motion of his hand.

Kakashi's body felt tight with desire, which was crazy. This was a potentially lethal situation, the enemy had the advantage and his subordinate was in danger. And what was he doing? Trying not to think about jerking off or watching Iruka finish what he'd started.

He moved quickly, formed hand seals and lashing out with a thin brand of lightning. The dark room erupted with blue electric fire and the smoke dissipated with a flash.

Iruka shot upright, kunai in hand, panting heavily. "Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi took a deep breath and released his lightning jutsu, plunging the room back into darkness. Still, he reckoned the way Iruka looked would be forever seared on his memory, rather like the after-flashes of his lightning jutsu. Hair tousled, skin flushed with arousal, no – Kakashi was saving that memory for later, because danger or not, it was clear he was going to have to get off. Damn body, reacting to both what he could see and what he could imagine.

"Everything's fine, Iruka," Kakashi said eventually. "You can stand down." _Or not_, he thought. _I wouldn't mind watching the finale._

"What happened?" Iruka slid the kunai back into his thigh holster and relaxed. Being abruptly woken had probably killed off Iruka's hard on, Kakashi reckoned, but he still must be feeling the high. He was good at hiding it, even if he had noticed how his body was reacting. Iruka had an impressive poker face; he'd need to remember that.

He took a deep, centering breath. "Saw something that looked like smoke, moving across the room toward you."

"And you decided to attack it with a raikiri?" Iruka sounded slightly incredulous.

"Mah, better safe than sorry." Kakashi sat down on his sleeping bag. "Maybe it was a figment of my imagination."

"Perhaps in the future you could not attack imaginary figments with lighting in an enclosed area?" Iruka still looked a little wide-eyed and slightly irritated. Kakashi thought he looked sexy and spent a brief moment wondering what Iruka was like in the sack when he was aggravated. The make-up sex would be fantastic.

"Do you want me to take my watch now, since I'm awake? Kakashi, are you listening?"

Kakashi forced his mind off of sex with Iruka and tried to focus on the conversation. "Yeah, sure. Maybe I need to get some rest. It's been a long day."

Iruka nodded and slid from his sleeping bag, not so nonchalantly smoothing down his uniform shirt. If Kakashi hadn't been watching closely, the gesture might have seemed wholly ordinary. Now he had to try to get some sleep without thinking about a half-naked, writhing sensei in the throes of passion. _Well, shit. This is going to be a long night._

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After a quick breakfast of cold ration bars, Iruka made his way to the library. He wanted to get started on finding this scroll, so that as soon as the snow stopped and things were passable they could make their way back to Konoha. Iruka decided he really hated being cold and that he probably hated snow more than he did the cold.

Fortunately Kakashi had discovered a large stack of cut firewood next to the bathhouse, so Iruka had built a fire in the library, which was making things a little more bearable, temperature-wise. Kakashi had said he was going out to explore the outside of the compound, but what Iruka hoped was that Kakashi was getting a nice fire going so they had hot water. He did seem to be taking rather a long time out there.

Iruka glanced at the wall of scrolls before him. There were thousands of them. He had no idea where to start; hopefully the person that had put these here had some sort of cataloguing system, otherwise his search was going to be based on dumb luck, which he personally hated. He started to pull one or two scrolls from their slots in the shelving and took them over to a long table near the center of the room. Happily, someone had left behind some heavy scroll weights, so he was able to unravel the scroll and lay it out on the length of the table without it rolling up again.

It was then that he noticed the snow globe on one of the shelves. _I haven't seen one of these for years,_ he thought, delighted. Carefully, Iruka picked it up and held it close. It felt mildly warm to the touch, a quick caress of heat against Iruka's fingertips, sparking a vague, fleeting memory that faded immediately. Inside the globe was a tiny miniature of the Daimyo's residence, in all its original glory. The roofs were bright red, the color not faded to the deep brick red of dried blood that was present now. Tiny gold finials capped the corners of the roofs, and the walls were a bright white with ornate woodwork along the bottom and just under the eaves, all painted red. The effect was garish and expensive. Whoever had made this model had taken a great deal of time and care to get the details right. Iruka looked closer and then something caught his eye, something out of place in the pristine perfection of the globe. A flash of smoke, or so it seemed to his eye, just to the right of the miniature main entrance. Iruka blinked, and it was gone. Yet something tugged at his memory again, something he thought he should remember. A flash of Kakashi, wide-eyed in the dark, sparks of lightning dancing on his fingertips. The feeling of tight arousal coursing through his body, a yearning, a need. And then it was gone, just like the smoke in the globe.

Iruka held the globe up closer and then shook it. Tiny flakes of pretend snow swirled in the globe, obscuring the mansion in a cloud of pure white. _Rather like the weather outside_. He placed the globe on the table, where he could see it. Maybe it would make a useful extra paperweight, even if the glass was cracked in one spot.

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Kakashi sauntered back into the main house. He'd finished getting a fire going in the bathing room, partly because he knew Iruka liked onsen and bathing houses, and partly because he also hated washing in cold water. He may spend the majority of his time out on missions, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate being clean and warm. Plus he'd had to find somewhere out of Iruka's presence where he could get off. His body was still aroused, although he'd managed to get enough of a lid on it that it wouldn't be a problem for now. _The last time I felt like this I was about fifteen, _he thought. _This is bizarre; I'm not a permanently horny teenager_.

Iruka wasn't in the main room they'd set up as base camp, so he wandered toward the library, snagging a couple of ration bars on the way in case they got hungry. The snow was falling like a fine mist, only just visible through one of the dirty windows he passed.

He pushed open the door to the library. Iruka had clearly made inroads in the time he'd spent in the bathhouse. Stacks of scrolls were in holders on the desk, and a few piled up on the floor. "Any luck?"

Iruka glanced over his shoulder. "No, not yet. I'm still trying to figure out if there's any system to the library. At this rate we'll be here until spring."

_Great_. Just what Kakashi wanted, to spend weeks here in a dusty old library. If he wanted to do that, he could have signed up for the Cipher Division instead of ANBU. On the other hand, it meant he got to spend time getting to know Iruka so maybe it wasn't all that bad. Kakashi reached the table and glanced over some of the scrolls Iruka was looking through. "What are these?" A lot of the scrolls Iruka had pulled covered different kinds of seals, and some were quite advanced.

"There seems to be an inordinate amount of scrolls to do with sealing. I was curious."

"Ah, you're a seals expert, aren't you?" He'd read that somewhere in Iruka's file.

Iruka blushed. "Not exactly an expert, but I know my way around quite a few of them. I've never seen something like this before. See this mark here?" Kakashi nodded. "That's the part of seal that usually describes _what_ is being sealed. But this is a sigil I've never seen before. I can't make out what it's supposed to seal."

"I've seen this before in one of Konoha's archives," Kakashi said. He searched his memory, thinking hard. "I believe it's an old script, maybe from before the countries were formed and the ninja system was put in place."

Iruka looked a little stunned. "You mean it's something like the old Uchiha scripts?"

"Perhaps. Looks older than that, though. I believe this sign is to seal something incorporeal." Kakashi had a vivid memory of the smoke, hovering over Iruka last night, caressing his skin. He forced it back down.

Iruka grinned, oblivious to where Kakashi's thoughts had taken him. "You may be right. I can see the way this sigil bends at the top, as if it's –"

There was a shudder beneath their feet that seemed to increase, and the sound of hundreds of scrolls vibrating in each cubby hole. "Another quake," Kakashi bit out, grabbing for a scroll that rolled to the edge of the table.

Iruka reached out for another scroll as everything began to shudder violently. "Kakashi – don't let the globe fall –" he began.

Before Kakashi could ask what Iruka was talking about, there was another violent crescendo of shuddering. He looked at where Iruka was pointing, seeing the snow globe shuddering and dancing toward the edge of the table. Snow swirled violently beneath the glass, obscuring whatever was inside. The globe teetered on the edge. Time seemed to slow to a crawl and Kakashi knew he'd never be able to catch it in time.

It tipped and fell, shattering on the wood flooring with a heavy crash. Just as the quake started to taper off, Kakashi could see a thin mist forming around the remains of the globe. It grew slowly, forming from mist into a thick smoke, reminiscent of last night, before adopting the shape of a tall, thin man. Kakashi reached for a kunai, but before he could throw it, the figure gave a deep, seductive laugh and dissipated.

_Shit. _

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Iruka wasn't fond of war meetings. This one was proving to be no exception, even if it was just between him and Kakashi. After the spirit had appeared and the quake had ended, they'd made their way to base camp to regroup. Iruka still felt like the quake had rattled loose some of his common sense, along with his teeth, because this whole chain of events was nothing short of insane to say the least.

Kakashi was sitting opposite him, the kunai he'd been holding earlier in the library jammed firmly into the tatami mat beneath him, point down. It was like a declaration of war. Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "So, what you are trying to tell me is you think these hundreds of scrolls in that library were used to seal whatever was in that snow globe?"

"Yes," Iruka replied. "It just seems far too coincidental otherwise." Iruka jabbed a finger over his shoulder in the direction of the library. "That's not a reading library, Kakashi, that's a reference archive. An archive filled with scrolls and books dating back hundreds of years that explain in minute detail exactly how to seal something incorporeal. Technically it's impossible. It's like trying to seal someone else's summons; it simply can't be done."

Kakashi frowned. "And yet clearly someone managed it. You'd think they'd have put the globe somewhere safer."

"You'd think," Iruka admitted and sighed. He seemed to deflate. "Any idea what that thing is?"

"Definitely the spook from your children's stories, I'd say. Do you remember the story?"

"Not really. Only that it was your run-of-the-mill ghost story – something about sucking the life-force from bad misbehaving children. Sorry," Iruka added.

_Okay, not good,_ Kakashi thought. "Mission priority has changed from now on," he began. "The Daimyo's scroll can wait. If there's scrolls in that library that detail sealing techniques, then there's no doubt there's scrolls that cover what that thing is. Anyone with any intelligence would research the enemy, so there must be literature about it in there somewhere."

Kakashi was interrupted by the sound of something breaking in the distance, and then what sounded like someone ringing a bell loudly, once. Iruka stared at Kakashi with wide, brown eyes. "That's the sound of someone trying to hammer their way through a seal," he said.

"So there are redundancies to the sealing system," Kakashi said. He stood up and retrieved his kunai from the matting. "Clearly whoever sealed that thing is smart. Good."

"That means it's still in here with us," Iruka warned. "_Not_ good."

Maybe Iruka had a point, Kakashi thought. "Let's split up. I want you to check the seals, see if the ones that you can find are intact. I'll go to the library and see what I can find on this thing."

Iruka shot to his feet. "Are you crazy? We have no idea what this spirit can actually do and you want to split up?"

Ah, there was the aggravated sensei again. Better he was annoyed, rather than questioning why Kakashi wanted to head for the library. Kakashi had a very good idea what this thing was, especially after seeing it in action last night. He didn't think it would harm them, because if it wanted to, it could have done so last night or when it had materialized earlier. He needed time to think, and to figure out how exactly to broach the subject with Iruka, who was twitchy at the best of times. Explaining to someone they looked hot while they were touching themselves while under the influence of the supernatural was clearly not the way to go.

"I don't think it's out to harm either of us," Kakashi replied after a brief pause. "Had it wanted to, it would have already done so."

"So, what? You're basing this reasoning on some sort of supernatural honor system?" Iruka snapped. "Unbelievable."

"Iruka, you're the seal expert. I need you to take a look and report back to me in the library." Kakashi shoved the kunai in his leg holster and walked over, touching Iruka on his arm. "Do this and then we'll make sure to stick together. Yes?"

Iruka took a deep breath, but didn't move away from his touch. That was promising, Kakashi thought. "Fine, I'll go look at your seals. Don't be dead when I get back."

Kakashi plastered a shit-eating grin on his face. "I'll do my very best, just for you, sensei. Wouldn't want to leave you alone in a dilapidated old mansion by yourself now, would I?"

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Kakashi spent the next little while sorting through scrolls. Iruka had the bulk of the sealing scrolls organized, so Kakashi moved those to one side until Iruka returned. Hopefully his knowledge of the seals used plus these scrolls would be enough for them to figure out what to do next. Instead, he concentrated on pulling anything to do with local legend or the history of both the mansion and the area. It would stand to reason that if the legends went back far enough, the spirit predated the house. Perhaps it was some kind of nature kami or spirit.

_You know what I am. _

The voice was mocking, yet deep and seductive and seemed to come from all around Kakashi at once. He'd felt its presence moments ago, felt the atmosphere in the room drawing tight as if it was pulling in energy to materialize. The glow stick on the table next to Kakashi flickered and then weakened, dimming down. Long shadows formed on the walls and as Kakashi stared at them, he could start to see a figure form by the doorway. He spun, pulling a kunai, but there was nothing to aim for.

"I know what I _think_ you are," Kakashi replied, looking around the room. He narrowed his eye, trying to pick the shadow from the shadows. _There_. Forming slowly near the doorway; coalescing into an almost recognizable human shape. Despite Kakashi's no-nonsense attitude toward the unknown, it was still disturbing to watch, and to be honest with himself, it made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. _Predator_, his mind warned.

_And what do you think I am? _

The shadow moved with preternatural speed, just like it had last night. One moment it was by the door, the next it was almost upon him. Kakashi took a defensive step backward and back of his thighs met with the unyielding surface of the desk. The shadow hovered before him, forming and unforming at eye level, reaching out a thin tendril occasionally only to draw it back.

_Well? What am I, clever jounin?_

One of the tendrils reached further than before, brushing over Kakashi's shirt and then his neck. Kakashi stayed stock still, trying to process why he wasn't moving, wasn't trying to come up with a way to defend himself or to protect Iruka. As the tendril touched his skin, he was washed with a not-unpleasant warmth and his skin tingled as if he'd been brushed with electricity.

"I think you're a spirit that's been present for countless years," Kakashi countered, buying time.

_Go on. Impress me with your knowledge, jounin._

The tendril grew bolder, now caressing across Kakashi's shoulder, over one nipple and then along his side. Before him, the shadow began to form a more humanoid appearance. Kakashi ignored the electric jolt when the thing grazed his nipple, even through his shirt, and tried to focus. The figure stepped closer, well into Kakashi's personal space, and if it had been a real person, Kakashi would have been backing off. He could clearly feel the tendril becoming an arm and then five fingers forming at the edge of his shirt, sliding against his skin. Its touch was warm, with more of that electric feel to it, and he felt himself growing hard. For some reason, Kakashi felt that that was a betrayal of his growing feelings for Iruka. He moved to the side and the shadow followed, leaning in. He could feel warm breath against his ear, and despite things, felt himself tilt his head back, exposing his throat. His fingers dug into the edge of the desk, steadying himself, preparing to strike. _Yes, that's it. I'm going to fight back, _he thought. _Dispose of this creature before Iruka gets back_.

The creature laughed. It's touch grew bolder, one warm palm sliding over Kakashi's skin, its other hand stroking over the front of his uniform pants and then his cock. Kakashi's breath came faster, and he swallowed. _Need to keep it talking. Perhaps I can find out some valuable information. I should treat this like an interrogation_.

"I think you feed off desire," Kakashi countered. "It makes you stronger."

The creature let out a seductive laugh against Kakashi's ear. _Hmm, that's true. Although sexual attraction would be a better word for it. The tension between you and your team mate – Iruka? – is like a full course meal. I could feel it even from within my prison._

"The snow globe?"

_Yes_. The creature stroked Kakashi's cock, using a little more pressure. Kakashi could feel the tight ache of arousal course through his system and he fought to not push into the thing's touch and failed.

_Your Iruka is watching you, you know. Right now, from the doorway. Watching you writhe under my touch. Do you like it that much? Or does being watched turn you on?_

Kakashi hadn't realized he'd shut his eyes. He snapped them open and there, standing in the doorway, a murderous expression on his face, was Iruka.

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_Stupid jounin_, Iruka snarled to himself as he marched down the corridor. _He's up to something, and there's things he's not telling me either. Something that's already happened but he's refusing to talk about it. _Secrets were not par for the course on missions; anything that could progress a mission should be shared, and Iruka hated it when people withheld things from him. Iruka had a fair idea what part of it was; when he had woken last night with Kakashi standing by him, wielding a raikiri, he knew something had happened. Kakashi wasn't one to get flustered over nothing, therefore it stood to reason that Kakashi had deemed Iruka in real danger. He'd woken from a pleasant if somewhat arousing dream, featuring none other than Kakashi himself, to the fright of his life. It was the biggest mood-killer on record so far. So yes, something had happened while he was sleeping, and Kakashi wasn't talking about it. He wondered if it had something to do with this spirit that had broken free. But – and it was a big but – the globe had only broken during the quake, not last night. So what else had Kakashi seen, and when?

He reached the main entranceway and switched on his flashlight. He could have simply opened the front door to let in light, but it was still snowing. Iruka didn't fancy contending with a face full of snow and ice. He reached out a hand and traced the faint markings around the door with his fingertip. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he could clearly make out the spidery marks of the seal around the frame. They were faded, but judging by the tingling pressure against the pads of his fingers, they were still very much working. He stared down, and used one of his boots to clear the debris from under foot. Beneath him, there was the bottom sigil of the seal and it was massive. It traced out in a circular pattern, with lines radiating from it, pointing to the cardinal points of the compass. In the middle was the sigil for spirit, just as in the scroll. _This is old magic, an old form of seal. Its drawing power from the cardinal directions, which means this form of seal is positively ancient. We don't form seals like this anymore, it draws too much power to sustain for long. _Iruka was impressed and bent down for a closer look, drawing one finger over the lines. He'd bet a meal at Ichiraku's that there were three other similar seals either in the other cardinal points or guarding entranceways to the mansion. Since this seal had to be part of a network, there might even be other, smaller seals. It was total overkill. Exactly what had they released when the snow globe broke? And more importantly, where was it now?

He spent another hour walking around, senses stretched to breaking point, waiting for the spirit to show itself. He found the three other cardinal seals, and a myriad of smaller ones on walls, in corners, and strangely, one before a large mirror. Discovering that mirror had almost given him a heart attack – he'd shone the light forward down the corridor and seen a dark, imposing figure before him, right before he was blinded by the flashlight. It took him a moment to figure out that the shape he'd seen had been his reflection.

_It's too quiet in here,_ Iruka thought. _Where is this spirit? If it was me, I'd be curious as to what I was up to with the seals. I'd be following me, watching for an opportunity to break one of these seals, rather like it had attempted before when it left the snow globe. If it were me, I'd go straight for an exit._ Iruka stopped in the corridor and swung the flashlight around. Nothing but normal shadows formed by the light. _If it were me, and I was not following the person examining the seals, where would I be?_

The answer hit Iruka with the force of a targeted jutsu, making his heart leap in his throat. _Kakashi._

He began to run.

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Time seemed to freeze for a moment as Iruka tried to process what he was seeing. He stood in the doorway to the library, watching Kakashi. Kakashi, who appeared to be unhurt and despite all the odds, enjoying himself with the very spirit Iruka had been trying to avoid all this time. And, for want of a better word, it was feeding off Kakashi's clear arousal, stoking the fire and growing stronger second by second. Iruka could see it forming, taking on a human shape as the moments ticked by. Kakashi gasped, his breath coming short, hands clenched on the edge of the desk. Iruka ripped his eyes from the sight of Kakashi's strong hips thrusting forward into the thing's hand, and tried to observe clearly. He tried to ignore the way his own cock hardened in his pants at the sight, now seared into his brain forever and ever to observe at will. He felt his own breath quicken, his hand clench on the kunai he held. The figure leaned forward, seemed to whisper into Kakashi's ear. Iruka couldn't remember the last time he been this turned on by something. The figure became almost solid, clearly feeding off Iruka's own desire as well as Kakashi's, and suddenly he knew what this thing was. He'd heard legends about it – them – but never imagined he'd come across one. No wonder his mother had adapted the stories for a child's ear, or maybe she never knew the real tale.

The figure was almost fully formed now, but Iruka could still see Kakashi through it. It was a bizarre sight, to see this man, this creature, with long, straight black hair and pale, ethereal skin. It looked half starved and gaunt, but was changing before his eyes, filling out, fattening itself on their dual arousal.

It whispered something in Kakashi's ear again and laughed, deep and seductive. Iruka felt his cock twitch in response to the sound. Kakashi's eye snapped open, a look of horrified desire on his face as his gaze met with Iruka's.

"Incubus," Iruka spat out the word. Then he threw the kunai.

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Kakashi's senses were never really far from battle ready, and when he saw Iruka throw the kunai with breathtaking precision he moved to the side and ducked. The kunai went right through the apparition, which merely laughed and vanished. The point of the kunai embedded itself in the wall with a dull _thunk_, followed by the fall of rotting plaster.

"Are you all right?" Iruka ran into the room and pulled Kakashi to his feet, one hand on his arm. Not that he needed the help, but in the circumstances he was glad Iruka wasn't going to have a second try at killing him.

In the distance he could hear the bell toll again; the incubus was having another go at breaking the seals. "We need to seal this room before it comes back," Iruka said.

Now the arousal was wearing off, Kakashi was starting to think clearly again. Iruka looked flushed and wouldn't quite meet his eyes. _That must have been a hell of a view_, Kakashi thought. _No wonder Iruka looks flustered. I'd probably have waited in the doorway to watch the ending. I've got to admire his quick-thinking; otherwise that thing might have actually fed enough to get out_.

Iruka left for a quick moment, returning with a sleeping bag and some rations, and both their packs. He immediately began to pull out a brush and some ink, and spit unceremoniously into the block. Then he took the loaded brush and began drawing complicated seals on the floor and around the door frame. Kakashi let Iruka work, because clearly this was his way of staying in denial for a while longer, and Kakashi was quite happy to give him the space. The conversation that was going to come after they were sealed in was not one Kakashi was looking forward to.

"That's not a regular seal," Kakashi observed, wandering over to see what Iruka was doing.

"I know." He continued drawing rapidly, reloading the brush quickly before moving on to the next sigil. Iruka seemed to realize Kakashi was striving for normalcy, because he added, "I've seen these seals all over the house. They work off ancient ley lines or something like that, so I have to include the cardinal compass points if this is going to keep that thing out."

"Makes sense." Kakashi paused and stuffed both hands in his pockets. He tried to ignore the way his body was still reacting; humming along with a low-level arousal. Being near Iruka was only making things worse. "How did you guess what the thing was?"

Iruka drew a sweeping line to connect to one of the cardinal points, and moved on, drawing intricate patterns into the floor. "A few things in those scrolls clued me in. That was confirmed when I could see that it was actually feeding off your ah, desire, and er..."

Iruka was not telling him something. "And?" he prodded.

"Kakashi, do I need to spell it out for you?" Iruka finished the seal and stood up, brush in hand, and faced Kakashi.

"Huh?" _God, I am so eloquent sometimes_, he thought.

Iruka sighed. "It was also feeding off my reaction to watching you," Iruka deadpanned.

"I didn't know you were a voyeur," Kakashi quipped. "Kinky."

"You are such an idiot, Kakashi. How do you ever get laid?" Iruka snapped.

Now that was uncalled for. "Spell it out for me, Iruka. I'd hate to misinterpret anything at this point." He really hoped Iruka was going to say something positive.

"Gods, I feel like I am twelve," Iruka muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He ended up with a smear of black ink across one cheek, just bisecting his scar. Beneath the ink, his cheeks were flushed. Iruka was embarrassed, or maybe still turned on. "Kakashi, I like you. As in _like_ you. Would like to do nasty, dirty things to your body and then maybe cuddle up on the couch afterward and eat ice-cream. Is that enough of a clue?"

Even though Iruka had delivered this amazing statement with some venom and a fair amount of short-temperedness, Kakashi grinned like an idiot. "Really? You _like_ me?" He ignored the way the arousal burned bright and clear, fanned by Iruka's statement. _I think I'm in lust at the very least_, he thought. _Thank god for pity missions._

"Don't make me hurt you any more than you deserve, Hatake."

Kakashi laughed.

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The shadows lengthened as night set in. The mansion was quiet - unearthly quiet. Iruka was sure the incubus was planning something. They had to be prepared if it managed to get inside the room. If it got in, and it fed off them, there was no telling what would happen. "We're going to have to stay away from each other until we figure out to get out of here without releasing the incubus."

Kakashi was perched on the edge of the sleeping bag next to Iruka. Iruka had only bought one in his rush, so now they were huddled together. The fire was burning low, and they only had a few logs left to burn. "That's disappointing," Kakashi said. He leaned forward and brushed one thumb gently across Iruka's cheek. Iruka ducked backward.

"What are you doing?"

"You have ink on your cheek from earlier," Kakashi replied.

His voice sounded husky, pleasant to the ear. Iruka did so not need this right now. He'd bet Kakashi was in the same boat he was; burning with a longing that needed to be slaked. Time to throw a bucket of cold water on things. "What do you think would happen if it got out?"

Kakashi pulled back and fixed Iruka with a hard stare. "Hard to say. How long has this thing been sealed here? This place has been abandoned for at least twenty years. I think it's been here for a lot longer than that."

"So why seal it then if it was already here?"

Kakashi threw a log on the fire. "Maybe they built this mansion right on the incubus's territory. What would you do if someone suddenly moved in and built on your ground without permission? You'd fight back; I know I would."

"So you think it fought back the only way it knew how, to employ its own nature?" That was interesting, Iruka thought. "So if we left it alone, maybe it would simply vanish?"

Kakashi snorted. "I think it's still got a bone or two to pick with the perpetrators of its imprisonment. Right now we are simply the means – the only fuel available – to enable it to get strong enough to get out."

"Sex is out then," Iruka said blandly. Kakashi looked shocked for a moment, searching Iruka's face. Iruka let a smile grow slowly and then pushed Kakashi, who pretended to fall backward.

"Okay, no sex," Kakashi replied, "for now. Fancy a ration bar?"

Iruka shook his head and laughed. "Can you feel that?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi looked up from peeling the wrapper off his bar. "Feel what?"

"The air feels like it's drawing in. Like before someone sets off a fire jutsu. As if… as if something is drawing what remaining energy is available before they make a move."

"You think it's going to have one last attempt to get out before its ninja power snack wears off?"

Iruka felt his mouth drop open. "_Ninja power snack_? Where the hell do you get these things from, Kakashi?"

"What? It seems like a reasonable description."

"I'm getting some sleep." Iruka curled up on the edge of the sleeping bag, tucking his feet close to where Kakashi was. "Wake me in four hours for the next watch?"

"Sure. Sweet dreams," Kakashi said with a smile.

Iruka closed his eyes and slept.

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When Iruka took over second watch, he felt exhausted. As soon as Kakashi had laid down, he had fallen asleep, like all well-trained shinobi did. When you were used to getting sleep in four hour increments, there was no time to spend drifting off to sleep – you either slept or you didn't.

Minutes seemed to crawl into hours as Iruka waited. He wasn't watching any more, he was waiting. He knew the incubus was up to something; it had been silent for far too long. The atmosphere continued to tighten and draw close, making him feel almost breathless. If Kakashi had noticed it, he hadn't said. Iruka shifted next to Kakashi on the sleeping bag. Kakashi's leg rested against the base of Iruka's spine as he slept and Iruka let his warmth and closeness comfort him. He risked a glance at Kakashi, laid out on his back, one hand resting loosely on his stomach. Iruka liked Kakashi's hands; his fingers were graceful, especially when he was forming seals for a jutsu. His chest rose and fell rhythmically with every breath he took and his mouth was parted slightly, belying the battle-ready state Iruka knew Kakashi was constantly in.

_You like watching him._

The voice was sibilant and smooth, sliding through the air. Iruka wasn't sure it had reached his ears physically; maybe the words had just materialized in his head.

Iruka felt his eyes closing and he jerked awake. He looked toward the doorway where a shadowy figure had appeared. The incubus was fully formed now; it's shape solid, taking the appearance of an androgynous, slender man, reminding Iruka of one of the Hyuga. It stood on the other side of the doorway, one hand reaching out to stroke the frame in a thoughtful manner.

_You want him. I can feel your thoughts; all those dirty little secrets, all those things you want to do to him and with him. Why don't you submit to your desires?_

"Because you'll use me for your own ends if I do."

_Ah, but is what is wrong with that? You get what you want and I get what I need._

Images of Kakashi, with his head thrown back in ecstasy wove into Iruka's mind. Part of him knew the incubus was responsible for this, but another part of him seemed to be shutting down and denying what he knew. Kakashi wasn't responding either, his chest still rising in sleep as Iruka watched.

The incubus stepped forward, raised hand resting on the door frame. Iruka could see the seals on his side of the door in the firelight, still intact, still working.

A small tendril of smoke appeared in the room, near the doorframe. Iruka felt his mind question it and then slough off the thought. He watched the tendril approach, caressing his cheek, moving down his chest, wrapping around his torso.

_This is impossible,_ Iruka thought. "You shouldn't be able to do that."

_I can work my way through any crack_, the incubus replied, humor evident in its voice. _A crack between the plaster and the doorframe, bypassing your seal. Even the crack in the snow globe. Ahh, but you don't remember that, do you? You remember waking, hot and heavy on the cusp of orgasm, your fellow shinobi standing over you with lightning dancing on his fingertips. If I have an opportunity, I can get out. I _will_ get out._

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the words should be alarming. _I could seal myself, seal Kakashi, _he thought. He imagined running his hands over Kakashi's torso, tracing sigils either with ink-loaded brush or his fingertips, marking him. Protecting him. _Why isn't Kakashi doing anything to stop the creature? The slightest movement out of place should wake him._

He glanced down at Kakashi, and felt heat flood his face. Kakashi was watching him, eyes slitted open, one black, one red, the firelight reflected in each eye. "Iruka?" Kakashi's voice sounded rough, like he'd been asleep for days. Iruka knew he had lost at that moment, that they had lost, and that despite his safeguards, the incubus was now in control.

Slowly and with great effort Iruka turned his head. The incubus was still on the other side of the door, and it was smiling. He watched it move, run its hand over the seal, which chimed like many small bells being rung.

"Iruka?"

He turned back to Kakashi, felt Kakashi's warm palm against his cheek and leaned into the touch. As if in slow motion he felt himself moving forward, leaning over Kakashi, placing a hand to either side of his shoulders. The kiss was like nothing Iruka had ever experienced before. It was gentle and soft to start, becoming bolder. Iruka parted his mouth and let Kakashi explore, tasted him in return. Iruka lowered himself, fitting his body into the cradle of Kakashi's hips, just as Kakashi wrapped his hand around Iruka's waist and pulled him down. The smoke moved around them, twisted against their skin, sending warm, electric tingles through Iruka's body. Iruka slid his hand down Kakashi's torso, over his ribs and across his stomach. He could feel Kakashi's breath hitch as he made short work of the button on Kakashi's pants and slid his hand inside. The warm, hard velvet feel of Kakashi's cock made his own cock twitch and he stroked firmly, feel Kakashi buck his hips into Iruka's touch. He grew more confident with his touches as Kakashi responded, and pulled back from the kiss to watch. Kakashi licked his lips and he sucked in a breath as Iruka stroked harder, his head falling back and his eyes closing.

"More, sensei," Kakashi whispered, arching his back and moving into Iruka's touch.

_Wrong_, Iruka thought, _this is wrong._ His mind evaded his protests immediately, the thought only partly formed before it vanished. Tingles from the smoke stroked down his spine, just above where Kakashi rested his hand on the small of Iruka's back, kneading rhythmically, mirroring Iruka's movements. Kakashi moved his hand down, under the waistband of Iruka's pants, smoothing over his ass. Iruka rolled his hips, seeking more before his world spun momentarily and he found their positions reversed, Kakashi looming over him. Shadows danced over Kakashi's face from the flickering fire, lending him an almost otherworldly appearance. Now in control, Kakashi leaned down and stole a kiss, then another. He became urgent, almost rough, taking from Iruka as Iruka moved under him. Cool air touched Iruka's skin as Kakashi removed his pants and then leaned back, stripping off his own shirt and revealing pale skin, marred by the occasional scar. Shirtless, his shoulders were deceptively broad with lean muscle, and Iruka reached up to smooth his hands over Kakashi's chest and down over his nipples. Kakashi's breath hitched as Iruka run his palms across them, and he returned to do the same, enjoying Kakashi's reaction. Kakashi stole another kiss, and then moved to undo his pants, pushing them down over his hips.

Iruka ignored the figure, watching from the doorway, and spread his legs. His cock ached with arousal, pre-come leaking from the tip and smearing across his stomach. Kakashi wrapped a firm hand around his cock and stroked it slowly, a grin forming on his face. "More?" he asked and Iruka didn't reply, only rolled his hips into Kakashi's loose fist.

"More?" Kakashi asked again.

"Yes, dammit," Iruka replied, impatient.

Kakashi moved slowly, slicking his palm with spit, and moved lower, caressing Iruka's balls, trailing slick fingers down and pressing against his hole. Iruka gasped, Kakashi's touch sending shockwaves of pleasure racing up his spine, warming his hips and his belly. Gently, slowly, Kakashi pressed his finger deeper, stroking in and out, adding another. Iruka gripped Kakashi's bicep with one hand, the other fisting in the sleeping bag beneath him when Kakashi stroked over his prostate. Iruka fought to keep his eyes open, even though the pleasure was building rapidly. Over Kakashi's shoulder, he could see the smoke, forming and reforming, and Kakashi arched his back, cock sliding against Iruka's. Kakashi spread his legs, pushing Iruka's thighs wider and suddenly Iruka knew the tendril of smoke was probably mirroring what Kakashi was doing to him. That turned Iruka more than he'd expected.

"Hurry, Kakashi," he urged as Kakashi removed his fingers and spit into his hand again, slicking his cock.

Iruka moaned as Kakashi pressed forward, and Iruka pushed out. Kakashi went slowly, sliding deep in one long, smooth movement until their hips were pressed together, Iruka's cock trapped between their bellies. Kakashi moved, pulling out and thrusting forward, making Iruka cry out in pleasure. The smoke wrapped around them, stroking skin, heightening the sensation. Iruka rose to meet Kakashi's thrusts as he set a slow rhythm, pushing deep, deeper. Iruka kissed Kakashi, moving along his jawline, down his neck. He bit down, earning a hard thrust from Kakashi, and then licked the bruised skin, soothing it.

"Fuck," Kakashi moaned, exposing his neck further, a silent hint to continue, and Iruka smiled against Kakashi's neck before doing it again.

Kakashi began to pick up the pace, moving with more intent now. Iruka dragged his hands down Kakashi's sides, blunt nails digging into the skin, loving the way Kakashi arched into his touch. Kakashi stopped for a moment and ignoring Iruka's protests, grabbed his hands, pinning his wrists above his head. Iruka felt suddenly very exposed, his body stretched and open and his cock pulsed at the thought of being taken hard and fast. He rolled his hips, trying to push Kakashi to move, but Kakashi simply grinned at him impishly. "Impatient?" he asked, flexing his hips.

_Oh god, please never stop,_ he thought, just before Kakashi's fingers tightened around his wrists and he thrust hard. Kakashi's grip on his wrists spoke to something feral in Iruka, and he grunted with pleasure, wrapping his legs around Kakashi's waist, feet pressing against Kakashi's arse, urging him on. Kakashi obliged and more, setting a fast but steady face, pushing Iruka back down against the floor. A hot mouth latched onto Iruka's nipple and he cried out when teeth bit down, sucking hard first on one and then the other. Kakashi's cock rubbed against his prostate with every movement of his hips, and Iruka tightened around Kakashi's cock, eliciting a deep moan of pleasure.

And then ground began to shake, a shuddering tremor that seemed to move through Iruka's body, heightening the pleasure. The quake intensified, but Iruka couldn't have cared less if the house had come down around them.

Kakashi paused and ground down, rocking his hips against Iruka's and Iruka knew Kakashi was on the verge of coming despite the quake. A delicious shock of pure lust jolted down Iruka's spine at the thought, making him whimper. "Come on," he urged. "Finish it."

Kakashi released Iruka's hands and gripped his hips, pulling Iruka onto his cock, hard. Iruka tightened his thighs around Kakashi's waist and pulled him in, every thrust of Kakashi's cock now a shocking pulse of pleasure in his gut and behind his balls. He could feel his body tightening as Kakashi's movements grew erratic, less calculated. Iruka fisted his hand in Kakashi's hair and tugged, pulling another moan from Kakashi.

It was at that moment Iruka looked over Kakashi's shoulder and saw the incubus, _in the room_. He could see the flush of arousal in its cheeks, the sleek gloss of its black hair and its hard erection. It smiled.

Kakashi thrust into Iruka, oblivious to the incubus, his breath coming hard and fast. Iruka twisted beneath Kakashi and pushed at his shoulders ineffectually. _Must stop, can't let this thing out,_ his brain cried. He knew then that Kakashi was deep in the creature's thrall, lost to lust and to Iruka.

As the quake tapered off, Iruka dropped his feet to the floor and pushed back, Kakashi's cock slipping from his ass. Kakashi growled and grabbed Iruka by the hips, flipping him over effortlessly and pushing back inside in one smooth stroke. The feeling of Kakashi entering him again almost sent Iruka over the edge, but Kakashi pulled Iruka to his knees and rolled his hips, wiping Iruka's mind of any protest. This is what Iruka wanted, to be taken thoroughly and totally by Kakashi, to forget everything else except Kakashi's movements, his cock, his will. With both hands on Iruka's hips, Kakashi drove into Iruka, scattering his thoughts, everything except for the sweet slide of his cock, Kakashi's hips against his, the sound of damp flesh meeting, stroke after stroke. Iruka's body tensed and tightened and without a single touch to his cock, he came with a loud cry, squeezing his eyes shut, lightheaded with the sensation of orgasm. Kakashi thrust deep and hard, his cock pulsing as he came, forcing Iruka into what felt like a second climax. Iruka collapsed to the bedding, Kakashi following him down, hot and heavy against his back, hands loose on his hips now.

"Holy shit," Iruka managed to breathe out, panting hard. He could hear Kakashi breathing heavily against his neck, stirring the fine hairs, tickling his ear. Iruka felt Kakashi tense on top of him and his cock slide free of his ass, and he managed to open his eyes. The incubus stood in front of them, and executed a perfect bow.

"Thank you for setting me free," it said. Iruka realized it had spoken aloud, its voice strong and clear. It looked solid, vital, no longer a wraith. "You have done me a great service today, shinobi of Konoha. I am in your debt."

Before Iruka could protest, the thing vanished, only to reappear by the sealed doorway. It watched Iruka as he watched it, and it reached out a clenched fist and drove it into the seal. The seal broke with a sound like breaking glass, so real that Iruka turned his head away to avoid the shards. When he felt nothing, he looked back and the incubus was gone. There was the sound of breaking glass in the distance, and Iruka knew it had broken the main seal and escaped the mansion.

"_Shit_," he said again, although this time with a lot less pleasure.

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Body still humming with the echoes of orgasm, Kakashi stood up and struggled to pull his pants up and get them fastened. "Wait here," he said to Iruka, and set off at a run down the corridor. Familiarity eased his way and he picked up the pace, lengthening his stride. He reached the entranceway, took vague notice of the burnt seals etched deep into the wood, and flung the door open. Weak dawn light filtered through the falling now, now thigh deep against the entranceway. A small avalanche of snow fell into the doorway, soaking his bare feet.

There, in the middle of the courtyard floated the incubus, hovering above the pristine new snowfall, arms outstretched. Its hair seemed to move of its own accord, floating around the creature's shoulders, moving on an invisible current of air. It laughed, that deep seductive sound that made Kakashi's cock twitch again in his pants. This time he fought the feeling, pushed it deep, and perhaps now that the incubus was a distance away it seemed to work. Kakashi felt more clear-headed than he had in days and realized that perhaps the incubus may have had more of an effect on him and Iruka than he had thought.

He heard Iruka running down the corridor, the bare floorboards protesting under his feet. Iruka slid to a halt next to him and stared out of the doorway, wide-eyed. "What's it doing?"

Kakashi looked at Iruka, really looked at him, cheeks flushed with the echoes of pleasure, hair down around his shoulders, pants loosely buttoned on his hips. He looked delectable, mussed and alluring, and Kakashi knew that this time, it was all his own observations and feelings and not those of something else.

And he still wanted Iruka.

"Kakashi." Iruka whispered urgently and shook him. "What is it doing?"

"Hmm?" He stared at the incubus, and it stared back at them, floating forward just a little, bare feet barely skimming the snow. Iruka stepped back and assumed a defensive position, kunai in one hand.

"Not today, chuunin," the incubus admonished. "Today I am free. Today I will not be goaded into a useless fight, not when I have the ability to finally leave this place. I have debts to repay to others that have wronged me. Take your pleasure for what it is and build on it, and perhaps one day we shall meet again."

The incubus seemed to dissolve, mixing with the falling snow, until Kakashi could not make out what was snow and what was not. The courtyard was still and silent, empty.

"Should we go after it?" Iruka asked with a frown, pocketing the kunai.

Kakashi thought for a moment. "No," he said eventually. "After all, it was not part of our mission. Our mission is to retrieve a scroll for the Daimyo, not gallivant around Frost looking for a missing incubus."

"But –"

Kakashi cut Iruka off with a kiss. He'd been wanting to do that for the last few minutes. Iruka paused for a moment and then leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kakashi's waist and pulling him closer. Kakashi kicked the heavy door closed and pushed Iruka up against it, finding no resistance or hesitation from Iruka. After a moment, Iruka pulled back.

"Kakashi," he began. "What happened earlier. I know I started things, and maybe I was under the influence of something, but I should have been more under control. I'm a shinobi, this shouldn't have happened."

Something told Kakashi that now was not the time to hand out a flippant reply. Kakashi searched Iruka's face, looking for a clue. Was he ashamed of what happened?

"Do you regret what happened?" Kakashi asked. _Please don't tell me you are ashamed._

Iruka bit his lip and a faint tracing of color appeared high on his cheekbones, highlighting the scar across his nose. After a moment he spoke, "No, I'm not ashamed of what happened. I'm embarrassed by my behavior."

"You shouldn't be," Kakashi replied. He stepped back a little, but left his hands resting on Iruka's waist. For some reason he didn't want to lose the contact. Iruka was warm, but that wasn't it. Kakashi knew if he stepped back now what they had would end. It wasn't much, but it was a start. "I was watching you, watching for your reaction to the incubus. I wanted you to make the first move, Iruka. Even under the influence of that thing, the first move had to be yours."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you felt for me what I feel for you."

Iruka looked a little stunned. Kakashi continued, "It's a sticky situation. Technically I am your captain on this mission, and your superior. Don't misunderstand me, Iruka; rank is not what this is about. I had to make sure you wanted me of your own volition."

"Of course I do." Iruka let out a deep breath, more of a sigh. He rested his hands on Kakashi's and squeezed, a silent gesture of comfort. "Like I said before, I've wanted you for a while now, but wasn't sure what to do about it."

Kakashi grinned. "So you really do like me?"

"Don't be an ass. Let's go and finish what we started, but on our own this time." Iruka turned and pulled Kakashi down the corridor by his hand. "I like you half dressed, Kakashi," Iruka said over his shoulder. He was smiling in a mischievous way. Kakashi liked it. "I think I'll like you better mostly undressed."

_Take your pleasure and build on it,_ the incubus had said. Kakashi fully intended to do just that.

End.


End file.
